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Teachable moment for employers

It’s not just the CBC. Every day we get dozens of calls about coping with sexual harassment in the workplace. The solutions are well articulated in Janice Rubin’s report to CBC.

As an employer, if you don’t care about the individual people harmed (and the nausea-inducing daily battle for dignity – wondering what is worse, enduring unwanted sexual advances or losing your job), maybe just look at the bottom line. One harasser can create concentric circles of toxicity that leave your workplace torn apart – lack of cooperation, distrust, fear, resentment – all of the things that destroy a productive workplace.

It’s not just about having a policy. As Rubin wrote, “These standards cannot just live on a page” and need to be underlined at “every stage of the employment relationship.” Every employee has to know harassment will not be tolerated, and everyone has a role – from perpetrator to bystander. Messages must be clear, unequivocal and ubiquitous. Train. Give specifics. Repeat.

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Employers: study Janice Rubin’s report about the “weak systems” that allowed sexual harassment to flourish and then implement the concrete recommendations to stop it in its tracks.

Jennifer Ramsay, Human Rights Legal Support Centre, Toronto

It’s a rare occasion when a reader finds a legal quote ringing with truth. “Management knew or ought to have known of this behaviour and conduct and failed to take steps required.”

The front page is a flawed bloodletting where two CBC executives fell or were sacrificed on their swords. Did they deserve it? Yes. What’s missing is the CBC-Radio-Canada president and the executive VP. The president offered a sincere and unqualified apology while the VP admits to only learning about the mess last June. Cheap at half the price.

If they knew they should be gone. If they didn’t know they should still be gone. Has integrity become just another layer of veil? Whitewash equals jobs intact.

Even in the warped political arena we live in, the “boss” is ultimately responsible, except of course Mr. Duffy’s boss, but that’s another story.

Jian Ghomeshi’s behaviour was systemic, long standing, destructive and perversely entitled. And all management knew or should have known about it. So why are two bosses walking away with their jobs intact? What does this say about the culture of the CBC?

Clearly that if one climbs high enough, the penalties for not knowing when you should have known are forgiven or forgotten. Try applying that to other over-stuffed organizations, political parties and services where money is the great escape.

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